


Familiar Territory

by AU Command (TheGreatElisaMousy)



Series: Familiar Territory [1]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Animal Familiar AU, Characters will be added when they appear, carwash siblings, follows the entire series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-01-31 05:18:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12675186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatElisaMousy/pseuds/AU%20Command
Summary: Everyone has an animal Familiar somewhere in the world. Usually, they find them by the time they turn twenty-five, though there have been known to be exceptions. Project Freelancer gathers these exceptions and engineers them their own Familiars in an effort to turn the tides of the war.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Animal Bonds](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1644980) by [Michigangster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michigangster/pseuds/Michigangster). 



> Okay, so, one, sorry about all the tags, but there are a lot of characters, and a helluva lot more to come. It is an AU following the canon series, after all. It'll take a while for it to hit that point, though, because we really need to start at the beginning, right?

David, recently codenamed Agent Washington, sat in the cafeteria in a corner, watching the other people moving around him. He was the youngest member of Project Freelancer, and as such, he didn't really feel like he fit in. The closest to his age was Agent Connecticut, or CT, as she preferred to be called. She was twenty-two. It was only a two year difference, but it felt monumental to the younger soldier.

"Hey, you're... Washington, right?" a voice asked to his right. He looked over to see that a blonde man had taken the seat next to him. "I'm North Dakota." He smiled and stuck a hand out. "You can just call me North."

"Hi, North..." Wash replied awkwardly, shaking his hand.

North chuckled a little, seeing the rookie's discomfort. "You know, when I started out, surrounded by people older than me, I was a little nervous, too. But we're all new to this Freelancer thing," he informed Wash. He pointed to a woman in purple and green armor, similar to North's, but lighter. She had blonde hair, tipped with pink, and did  _not_ look happy. "That's my sister, South."

"She's... a little scary," Wash admitted.

North laughed a little again. "Yeah, sometimes. But not as scary as Carolina."

"Who?" the younger blonde asked, feigning ignorance and looking around.

"Carolina," North repeated. "She's probably training. Again."

A brunette soldier in tan armor plopped down on North's other side. "Hey, North. Hanging with the new guy?"

"York, this is Washington. Wash, meet Agent New York," North introduced.

York nodded. "So, I see you don't have a Familiar yet, either," he commented. Wash looked down at his folded hands. By the time he'd reached basic, everyone else he knew had found their Familiars, but he hadn't yet. He still had a few more years before he should be worried, but it was still disheartening. "Oh, shit, man, I'm sorry," York said, seeing the depressing setting into Wash's face. "Look, I don't. Neither do North or South." He thought for a minute. "Hell, I don't think anyone they drafted for this has a Familiar yet."

"Supposedly, that's one of the reasons we were chosen," North added.

"I wonder why..." Wash finally spoke. He watched as a brunette man in white armor with a thick mustache walked in, arguing with a tan man in smaller blue armor with a long braid.

"The blue one's Florida," York informed him. "And the guy with the fabulous mustache is Wyoming."

Wash snorted a little at that.

"All Freelancer agents report to the Briefing Room," a pleasant female voice spoke. Wash couldn't place the origin.

North caught on to his confusion. "They didn't tell you about F.I.L.S.S.?" Wash shook his head. "Well, technically, she's the Freelancer Integrated Logistics and Security System. You know, F.I.L.S.S.."

"You'll get used to her," York assured him, standing. "Come on. We don't want to leave the Director waiting."

* * *

Wash, York, and North were the last to arrive. Waiting for them were six other Freelancer agents, along with two men by the large monitor. The older man with glasses had a rusty-spotted cat perched on the back of his shoulders while the darker skinned man had a black-backed jackal sitting at attention by his feet.

"Hello, Agents," the man with the glasses, the Director, stated. "And I'm sure you've figured out by now, you're here not only because of your military skill, but your lack of a Familiar." He motioned to nine cardboard carriers of varying sizes with air holes.

"These animals have been genetically engineered for each of you," the other man, the Counselor, informed them. "The will be your Familiars."

"Agent Carolina, step forward," the Director said. The red haired woman in aquamarine armor came up to the table. The Counselor picked up one of the boxes and handed it to her. She reached inside and pulled out a small, dark colored furry animal. "Your Familiar is a wolverine."

"Thank you, Sir," she said before stepping back, settling the baby animal in her arms, making sure it stayed secure.

"Agent Connecticut, step forward," the Director said, and CT complied. She was handed another box, pulling out a small white feline with black and grey spots. "Your Familiar is a snow leopard."

CT nodded slightly. "Thank you, Sir," she said, mimicking Carolina's words and actions as she stepped back and held the snow leopard, gently rubbing the back of its head. Wash could barely hear it purring, and caught the small smile CT wore.

"Agent Florida, step forward." The blue clad Freelancer complied. He pulled a small pup from the box. "Your Familiar is a grey wolf."

"Thank you, Sir," Florida said, stepping back.

"Agent Maine, step forward." The large man in white armor walked to the table, where he was handed a surprisingly small box. The animal inside was a tiny golden brown feline with black spots and stripes. "Your Familiar is a bobcat."

Maine let out a single grunt with a nod before stepping back amongst the others. The bobcat was nestled in the crook of his elbow. It yawned before snuggling close to the large man's chest.

"Agent New York, step forward." York complied, pulling a small tan lion cub from the box. "Your Familiar is an Asian lion."

"Thanks, Sir," he said, stepping back for the next agent.

"Agent North Dakota, step forward." North did so, pulling a tiny brown kitten with small black tufts at the tip of its ears. "Your Familiar is a Spanish lynx. Be careful with her, she just a few days old."

"Thank you, Sir," North said, holding the tiny kitten close to his chest.

"Agent South Dakota, step forward." She stepped forward. A scaly tail wrapped around her suit's glove, and she pulled out a small, white cobra. "Your Familiar is a hooded cobra." She stepped back without a word, studying the venomous snake that had made itself comfortable in her hand.

"Agent Wyoming, step forward." The brunette followed the order.

"I suggest two hands," the Counselor advised, placing the largest box in front of him.

"Alright..." Wyoming reached into the box, pulling out a small, white bear cub.

"Your Familiar, Agent Wyoming, is a polar bear."

"Thank you, Sir," Wyoming said. It was a bit heavy, so he set it on the floor, stepping back. Wash and North made an effort not to 'aw' as the little bear toddled after his new partner.

"Agent Washington," the Director said, pulling his attention forward again. "Step forward."

Washington reached inside the final box, pulling out a tiny mammal. He couldn't tell whether it was a canine for a feline, but it couldn't be more than a week old, but its brown eyes were wide open, staring at him with interest.

"Your Familiar is a spotted hyena."

The Director's words snapped him out of it. "Uh, thank you, Sir..." he said, stepping back among the other Freelancers and their new Familiars.

"The next few weeks will be dedicated toward bonding with your new Familiars," the Counselor said. "The regular training schedule has been postponed, but you may use the Training Floor if you wish."

"Agents, you are dismissed."

* * *

"They're so tiny," Wash said, looking down at his hyena when he and a few others entered the rec. room.

York rolled his eyes. "They're babies," he said, absentmindedly scratching his lion behind her ears.

"Especially these two," North said, referring to his lynx, as well as Wash's hyena. "You know, I'm a little surprised they partnered Maine with a bobcat. I would've thought something bigger, like a lion, or a tiger."

"Or a bear?" York commented.

"Oh, my," Wash joked.

North laughed. "But seriously, though. It's so tiny, and he's so... big."

"Well, anyway," York said. "These little guys need names, don't you think?"

"Yeah," North agreed with a nod. He looked down at the little lynx in his hands, a female. "Hmm... How about Ayla for you?" he asked. The tiny animal let out a tiny noise. "Can I take that as a yes?" She clumsily butted his hand. "Alright, I'll take it."

York looked at his lion, also a female. "Hm..." he thought. "Well, how about Drusilla?" The cub butted York's hand, just like Ayla had done to North.

"Drusilla?" Wash asked.

"Wen I was a kid, my dad watched really old shows," he informed him. "One of them was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and there's this vampire named Drusilla. She's kind of a nut job, but pretty damn strong as scary." He scratched his Familiar behind the ears. "Just like you're gonna be, right Dru?"

Wash turned his attention to the sleepy hyena in his lap. "Um... Callie?" She sneezed in what he assumed was disdain. "Okay, how about... Jamie?" Another sneeze. "Heather." Sneeze. "Olivia?" Sneeze. "Alright, I give up," he muttered. York and North laughed.

"Something tells me that's gonna take a little work," North said, watching Ayla yawn. He started rubbing under chin but stopped when she moved down a little and started sucking on his finger.

Wash smiled, watching the two. "That is probably the cutest thing ever. Of all time." The hyena sneezed, biting his hand lightly. She didn't draw blood, and it didn't hurt much, so he figured it was just to grab his attention. "Other than you," he said, rubbing her head. She began to purr.

"Hard to believe that these guys are going to be fighting one day," York said. "They look so... fragile."

"I know," North agreed. "But they're predators. Fighting is what they do." Ayla nuzzled his hand. "I guess we just enjoy their cuteness while it lasts."

Wash nodded, petting his hyena. He smiled when she continued to purr.

* * *

Wyoming sat at one of the cafeteria tables, cub by his side, and Florida and his pup across from him. He'd grabbed some food for himself, but made sure to get some meat for his new Familiar.

"They need names," Florida commented, rubbing the top of his wolf pup's head. "You seem like a... Lupin, to me." The cub let out an adorable bark. "What about him?" He pointed his fork at the tiny polar bear.

Wyoming thought for a moment. "Maybe... Archibald." At the looks he got from all three at the table, he said, "I'll call him Archie, for short."

Archie looked at him for a moment, tilting his head before going back to the meat. "I'd call that a yes," Florida commented. He turned his attention back to Wyoming. "What kind of training do you think they'll be having us do with them?"

The Brit shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they'll make them all fight to the death to see which is the strongest." Archie and Lupin stopped eating and stared at him.

Florida set his hand on his wolf's head in reassurance. "I'm sure they won't do that."

Wyoming thought for a moment. "I suppose you're right. After all, they must have spent too much money on this project to simply toss it all away in a battle to the death."

Lupin seemed to accept this and went back to his dinner. Archie, on the other hand, just stared at his human. He didn't seem reassured. He took a wobbly step toward him, and another, and another until his head butted lightly against the Freelancer's chest.

"I think he wants you to hold him," Florida commented, watching the two with a smile, scratching his own Familiar behind the ear.

Wyoming shook his head. "I don't think so." Archie butted his chest again. "No."

"C'mon, Reg," Florida said, grinning now. "He's just a baby."

The brunette stared down at the big eyes of the polar bear cub. Finally, he sighed. "Fine." He scooted back in his seat before picking up the animal and setting him in his lap. Archie looked up at him before resting his head on the man's chest.

"Awww!"

* * *

Carolina looked at the tiny wolverine that gaze back at her, blinking sleepily. She rubbed the top of his head, allowing herself a small smile when the baby animal rubbed his head against her hand.

"You know, we need something to call these guys," South commented, sitting across from her, right next to CT. Maine sat a little further down the table. Carolina and CT pulled their Familiars a little closer at South set her cobra down on the table. She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, she's not gonna hurt anyone, right Kinsey?"

"Kinsey?" CT asked.

The snake simply slithered back to South, wrapping around her hand again. "Yeah, why not?" the blonde asked. "So, what about these guys?" she asked, motioning to the others' partners.

Carolina studied the wolverine. Her mind went through several names before finally settling on one. "His name's Ezra."

CT was once again petting her new Familiar. "How about Kora?" she asked. The cub butted her head against the brunette's hand, clearly agreeing with the name. She looked over at the large man, baby bobcat on the table in front of him. "How about you, Maine? What's that little guy's name?"

"Dante," Maine replied in his typical growling voice.

South looked at the others. "So... what do you guys think we'll be doing with them?"

"Training them to fight alongside us, I'm guessing," Carolina replied simply.

"Does that mean we'd be fighting each other?" CT asked. "These guys are barely old enough to walk straight, would they really be able to fight?"

"They probably won't make us fight immediately," the redhead said. "Right now is probably just time for them to bond with us. They're going to fight with us, but Familiars have always been more than that."

South looked down at Kinsey before looking at the others again. "So, have any of you heard from yours yet?"

Both women, along with Maine, shook their heads. "I'm guessing they're still getting acquainted with us," Carolina said.

"Do you think they're even old enough to bond?" CT asked.

"We'll find out soon enough," Carolina said.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get done. The next... few or several, I don't know yet, will probably take a couple weeks in between, since it's pre-series. So there's a bunch of having to figure out what happens before then. Once we get to more (pardon the pun) familiar content, it shouldn't be too big of a problem to pump these out once a week. Anyway, without further ado...

Washington lay on his bed, unnamed hyena curled up by his side, fast asleep. It had been five days since the two had met, and she still rejected every single name he tried. It was frustrating, especially when all of the other Freelancers made fun of him for it.

He glanced over to the other bed, where Maine was fast asleep, Dante on his pillow. The bobcat's eyes were closed, but an ear would flick for a second if he heard someone outside the room.

As far as Wash knew, none of the other Freelancers had managed a proper bond with their Familiar yet, which gave him some comfort, at least. He wasn't ages behind them all. Just... a few steps.

He sighed. He needed some sleep if he was going to take his Familiar out for a run in the morning.

* * *

Carolina stood on the training room floor, waiting for F.I.L.S.S. to begin one of the training programs. Ezra sat on the nearby table where weapons and ammo were usually placed. But this was a physical exercise, not firearms.

The holographic targets finally appeared around her, and one by one, the redhead hit them all as they rotated. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking over, she could see Ezra pacing on the edge of the table, looking at the floor. She sighed with a small smile beneath her helmet and walked over, picking the wolverine pup up and placing him on the floor. She gave him an affectionate scratch behind the ear before returning to the center of the training floor. The whole time, she could feel two small eyes following each movement.

She heard movement behind her, and on reflex she spun, arm prepared for a punch. She stopped when she saw a dark green helmet accented with a dark purple. The person immediately stepped back, raising their hands in surrender. Standing next to them was a panther, crouched in a defensive stance.

A moment of silence passed between them before Carolina figured out who this newcomer was. She'd seen the files of all recruits for Project Freelancer. "Colorado," she said, lowering her fist. The other agent relaxed, but the panther hadn't moved.

"Stand down, Francine," Colorado said, and after a moment, the big cat relaxed. "So... where's your Familiar?"

"He's over there," Carolina said, nodding to the wolverine that was toddling over to them.

Colorado stared for a moment. "He's... just a baby."

Carolina nodded. "Yeah. Just got him a few days ago."

The other agent was silent for a moment, looking down at her Familiar. It was clear the panther was telling her something. "Why did you... get him? Shouldn't you have found your Familiar by now?" She cut herself off abruptly before Carolina could even begin to react. "Oh, god, I didn't mean anything by it... I just..."

The cyan armored woman shook her head. "It's fine. I understand. It's... unusual for someone to not have found their Familiar by now."

"Yeah..." Colorado said. After a moment, she looked at the other Freelancer. "I saw Wyoming walking around earlier with a polar bear cub. Was he given one like you were?"

Carolina nodded. "A small group of us got our Familiars from the Director."

"Whoa..." the green and purple clad soldier said. "Why do you think he did that?"

"Who knows?"

* * *

CT walked through the halls of the Mother of Invention, Kora held securely to her chest. She saw other soldiers, presumably more Freelancers, along the way. She couldn't help but notice that all of their Familiars were fully grown.

"I'm telling you, the Director's running one of his experiments again," she heard one of them say. She turned to see someone in tan armor with light green accents accompanied by a red fox speaking to someone in pink armor with lighter purple accents, a panda by their side. She walked over to them.

Both shut up as soon as they heard her footsteps approaching, and from the directions their helmets were facing, they were looking right at Kora.

"What's this about some kind of experiment?" CT asked.

"N-Nothing," the woman in tan armor said.

"Just... speculating," the other one, also a woman, said. The first elbowed her in the ribs. "On... what's for dinner tonight. You know, the Director likes to try to have the food spiced up for us sometimes, to give us a variety. Yeah..."

The first woman face palmed and panda shook its head. "Sorry about West. I'm Wisconsin."

"Connecticut," CT replied. "But just call me CT."

"Alright," Wisconsin said. "Oh, right! This is Drew. That's Cathy," she stated, pointing first to her fox and then to West's panda. She was silent for a moment. "So... your Familiar is just a cub."

"Yeah," CT replied. She knew that  _that_ was what Wisconsin and West had been talking about before she showed up. "Her name's Kora."

"She's cute," West said, reaching out a hand. "Can I?"

CT nodded. "Go ahead."

By the excited sound that came out of the other woman, CT could only imagine the grin on her face as she reached out and gently stroked the snow leopard's head. Kora yawned, eliciting another excited noise from the pink-clad woman. "I remember when Cathy was just a cub!" After a brief moment in which CT was sure the panda was speaking to her partner, West laughed a little. "Don't worry, you were cuter." A pause. "Okay,  _are_ cuter."

Wisconsin tapped West's shoulder. "Come on, we gotta go now. Don't wanna keep Jersey waiting."

"Right!" West said, perking up. She drew her hand back from Kora's head. "Sorry, CT, we gotta go. See you around!"

"Yeah..." the brown armored Freelancer said. She knew that the two of them thought she was in some kind of experiment. West didn't seem too bad, but Wisconsin almost seemed to be... suspicious of her. "See you."

* * *

North sat in the rec. room, York by his side and Ayla asleep in his lap. Dru was currently on the floor, darting after the laser light from his rifle.

Dru jumped on the stationary light, looking pleased with herself before looking down and seeing that the light was now on top of her paw. Somehow managing to look confused, she batted one paw on the other, only getting more confused when the light was now on top of that paw.

"Alright," York said. "I think it's time for you to let her win."

North nodded with a smile and moved the light. Dru chased after it, diving on top of it. As soon as she hit the floor, North turned the light off. She looked up at the two men and opened her mouth wide. A rasping squeak came out.

"What was that?" North asked.

"I think she just tried to roar," York answered, laughing. North joined in.

The noise woke Ayla who shifted in the blonde's lap. She still hadn't opened her eyes, but considering she was only just over a week old, that was to be expected. All the other Familiars, save for Wash's hyena, were probably at least a month old when the Freelancers received them. But the tiny lynx and hyena were born likely days before they were given to their human partner.

Speaking of Wash...

The grey and yellow clad soldier walked into the rec. room, hyena held close to his chest. Unlike North and York, he was wearing his helmet.

"Hey, Wash!" York called him over. When the younger man sat, York looked from the baby animal back to Wash. "So... She let you name her yet?"

Wash's shoulders sagged, and that was enough of an answer for the other two. "I don't know why she doesn't like any name I pick. We've probably gone over at least a hundred by now, and she still hates all of them." He glanced down to see two big brown eyes staring up at him. "Don't think that's going to work this time." The cub tilted her head down and huffed, earning laughs from North and York.

"Has she bonded with you yet?" North asked.

Wash shook his head. "No," he replied. "I'm pretty sure she's too young to bond. Why?"

"She's more... human influenced than the others."

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"All the others still have more animal-like behaviors," North elaborated. "I mean, yeah, they all seem to understand us and everything. Kinsey doesn't strike anyone because South tells her not to. I heard Archie gets nervous when Wyoming brings up any possibility of them fighting against each other. But yours... Everything she does is more than that. She knows you're trying to come up with a name for her. She knows how to let you know she doesn't like it. Hell, she knows a way that could make you give in, and gets upset when it doesn't."

Wash looked down at his Familiar, who seemed to be pointedly not looking at him. "I... never really thought about that." He scratched lightly behind her ear and she leaned into the touch.

"She might not have a name yet," York started, "but I'm pretty sure the two of you are already closer than the rest of us are to our Familiars."

Wash looked down at the hyena. "Marina?"

She huffed.

"Oh, come on!"

* * *

Florida opened the door to the training floor, looking down at Lupin, who strolled beside him as he stepped inside. Another Freelancer, one in dark green and purple armor with a panther by her side was in the room. She seemed to be just finishing her training. She looked over at him and waved. "Hey," she said. "I'm Colorado. You're Florida, right?"

He nodded. "That's right. Pleasure to meet you." He smiled under his helmet.

"We're just finishing up in here," Colorado said, a smile of her own in her voice. "So the floor is yours." With that, she and her Familiar left.

Florida stretched for a minute, looking down at Lupin, who was clearly restless. They'd gotten in two runs since he'd first gotten the wolf, but he knew the pup had a lot more energy than that, but they were forbidden from doing their runs in the halls. While he understood why, it was still a little inconvenient for them both. "You ready?" he asked the pup. Lupin looked up at him with excitement in his eyes, and that was all the answer the Freelancer needed. He started at a light jog, a pace the wolf kept up with easily. After a few minutes of that warm up, he sped up, Lupin still keeping pace. The pup looked up at him expectantly. "Go on," Florida told him with a smile in his voice.

Lupin took off almost before Florida had finished. The man still kept his pace, laughing a little as his Familiar ran as fast as he could.

Even after Florida eventually tired out, Lupin was still running. He'd slowed down a little, but he was still running. He didn't want to have to stop the little guy, but he knew there were probably other people that were going to want to use the training room. He whistled to get the wolf's attention. Lupin slowed to a stop and tilted his head in question.

"We have to get going now," the blue soldier told him. The wolf pup whined but walked over to him, following him out.

* * *

South poked at her food, Kinsey draped around her neck. She was a bit irritated that they hadn't managed to bond yet, no matter how much everyone else said they were probably too young to. She'd know people that had bonded with their Familiars really early on, when the animals were barely a few days old. It was rare, but still...

She didn't blame the cobra. If anything, she blamed the Director for it. He must have given them defective Familiars, and that pissed her off even more.

She glanced across the room to see Wash with his hyena. Word had spread pretty quickly that his Familiar still hadn't let him name her yet. South thought it was hilarious, but it also backed up her theory. If these were actually supposed to be their Familiars, they wouldn't argue with them so much, right? The Director just totally fucked up.

Kinsey slithered down South's arm and onto the table, looking up at her. The agent reached into the bag she'd brought and pulled out a small dead frog. It had taken some trial and error to figure out what the snake would eat, but she seemed to like frogs. The only issue was that she couldn't get live ones, like she knew her Familiar would probably prefer. South wasn't too sure about Kinsey's hunting ability at the moment, and she didn't want to be responsible for losing a damn frog on the ship.

It also hadn't escaped her notice that she and the other eight agents that had received their Familiars from the Director were the only ones with baby animals. It seemed like all the other agents had fully grown partners. How did the Director expect them to be able to do anything when their Familiars were so little?

* * *

Wyoming was cleaning his rifle as Archie toddled around the room, exploring. The white-clad Freelancer hadn't brought the polar bear many places other than his quarters, the dining hall, and the rec. room. But he'd spent enough time away from the training floor, and it was time to get back to business.

Once he deemed his weapon clean enough, he said, "F.I.L.S.S., if you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course, Agent Wyoming," the female voice said, and small holed opened in the floor for targets to rise from. Wyoming got into position and fired the first shot. It went wide as he heard a small crash. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Archie looking at him with wide eyes next to a dummy grenade that had fallen to the floor. The only explanation the man could come up with was that his Familiar had never heard a gunshot before and had been startled, making him run into the table leg and subsequently knock the dummy grenade off the edge and onto the floor next to him.

"It's not real," he told Archie, who seemed to relax ever so slightly, before turning back to the targets and taking aim once again. He fired, this time hitting his target. Feeling a slight bump against his leg, he looked down. Archie was leaning against it. He sighed. For a polar bear, his Familiar seemed far too affectionate.

* * *

Maine sat at a table in the corner, watching the rest of the room. He'd finished his food already, and Dante was playing with a leftover carrot, batting it back and forth on the table. The man couldn't help smiling ever so slightly. The bobcat was just a baby, and he was playing to his heart's content. And Maine would let him. From what he understood from the Project, they wouldn't have long before their Familiars, these sweet little baby animals, had grown into tough, hardened soldiers.

Looking down at the delighted little kitten, Maine would be lying if he said he was looking forward to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one was really, really awkward, but it's also sort of an introduction. You know, kind of showing the interactions between the agents and their Familiars. And yes, I actually have set Familiars for all the other Freelancers, including those we don't see in canon. After all, there had to be some kind of interaction, right? Anyway, I think things are going to pick up at least a little bit next chapter, though there might be a bit of a time jump.
> 
> See ya on the flipside~ Elisa out~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'd just like to say that, as stated in the first chapter, this was inspired by the story Animal Bonds. The beginning of this, the 'prologue' of sorts, pre-series, will probably feel really similar because, well... It's the only way I can see how to start it. But things will change, I promise you, and from the events of into the Recollection trilogy onward, there will definitely be difference, hopefully significant ones. I know some things that are going to happen as far as in the Chorus trilogy and beyond, so any similarities that far away will be purely coincidental. I'm pretty sure that's all I needed to say here, so... Let's continue.

Wash walked through the halls of the ship, hyena by his side. Another month had passed, and while she and the other Familiars had grown significantly, still, no one had bonded, and his partner still hadn't let him name her. It was beyond frustrating.

Finally finding who he was looking for, he called out, "Carolina!"

The cyan-clad Freelancer turned. "What?"

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked. "You know, alone?"

There was a moment of silence in which Wash guessed the redhead was debating. "Alright." She led the way to a currently vacant weapon storage room, followed by Wash and both of their Familiars. "Now what do you want?"

"What's up with the Director?" the blonde asked. "I mean... this whole Project... I don't get it."

Carolina crossed her arms. "You needed to talk alone for this?"

"I just wanted to know if he'd ever told you anything," Wash replied. "He..." He sighed. "Bringing me into Project Freelancer was the first time he's ever spoken to me since I joined the army."

The frown in her voice was clear. "So you thought he talked to me about it?"

"Well... you were his favorite," the younger agent said, softer this time.

Carolina sighed. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, he didn't say anything to me, either. I'm just as in the dark as you."

There was a long pause. "Why did he stop talking to me? I called, and I wrote letters, but... he never gave any kind of response."

The woman looked at him for a moment. "Probably because he thought you'd die the same way Mom did." And with that, she left, Ezra at her heels.

* * *

"Hey, Connie," Wash said, sitting next to the other Freelancer and setting his tray down. His Familiar hopped up next to him, and he slid the chunk of meat he'd grabbed for her over.

CT glanced up. "Hey, Wash. What's up?"

"Not much, really," he said, shoving the conversation he'd had with Carolina to the side. The two had agreed very early on to not let anyone know about their relation to each other, or the Director. "How'd your training session go?"

The brunette sighed. "Not too well. We were up against Wyoming and Archie."

"That's not really a fair fight," Wash said with a frown.

"Yeah, well, it probably won't be too fair out in the field, either," CT retorted. "We just have to adapt." She picked up a small vial.

"What's that?"

"Some kind of special blend of anti-venom. We're up against South and Kinsey tomorrow, and this should keep Kora at least relatively safe," she replied.

"Relatively?"

She gave a small laugh. "You really don't know anything around here, do you?" she asked good-naturedly. "If she's completely immune, we won't know how effective Kinsey is in a battle situation. But if she goes in without any protection, there's a strong chance Kora could die."

"Oh," Wash said, eyes a bit wide. "Do we all get that stuff?"

"Eventually, probably," CT replied. She paused. "Hey, Wash, I have a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"Do these guys seem like they're growing faster than they should be?" she asked.

Wash looked down at his partner. "I was thinking that a while ago," he told her. "But maybe... They were engineered for us, right? So they were probably given something to make them grow faster, you know? I don't think the Director wants to wait at least a couple years before we're ready for the field."

"That would make sense," CT commented. She reached down and scratched Kora behind the ears. "I'm gonna miss them being this cute, though."

"You and me, both."

* * *

Wash checked his training gun, noting that York was doing the same at the other end of the training floor. His Familiar was shifting restlessly, waiting for the match to start, while Dru was pacing from side to side, eyes never leaving the hyena.

"Match begin," F.I.L.S.S. said, and Wash immediately looked back at York. The tan armored soldier was still standing there, aiming the training gun, but Dru was now nowhere to be seen.

He looked down at the young hyena by his side. "Go," he said softly, and she stared up at him for a moment before running into the group of raised blocks, trying to find Dru before the lion found her.

Wash heard York's gun go off and barely had enough time to react before the armor-lock paint flew past his head. He ran to the side, taking cover behind another raised block. He listened for the other man's footsteps. With the armor they wore, they had to be loud enough to hear when they walked, right?

Sure enough, he heard the steps slowly approach. He peeked around the block to see York advancing on him. Wash jumped out from his hiding place and fired, the shot going wide about two feet. York took the opportunity to shoot Wash in the left arm, paint freezing his arm in place. "Fuck...!" he muttered. He ducked behind another block, arm useless by his side.

Growling nearby reminded him of the other threat. The Familiars were instructed to use minimal force with the agents, as well as with each other, but even then they could still do some serious damage if they weren't careful.

He turned just in time for the now decently sized lion to land on his chest. Her claws weren't out, which Wash thanked every god he knew of for. Those claws would easily slice through the mesh under his armor, and all she would have to do is find the right spot. Dru lifted up her paw, about to deliver what would have been the final blow in a real fight when a brown blur tackled her, knocking her off the grey armored Freelancer's chest.

His hyena and Dru went tumbling, hyena on top before the lion used her superior weight to gain the upper hand. Before she could be pinned, however, the hyena slipped to the side, shaking herself off and letting out the signature laughing sound hyenas were known for. Dru growled in response as the two circled each other.

In hindsight, Wash realized it was a very bad idea to take his attention away from his human opponent as he felt the armor-lock pain hit his back, freezing him up and making him fall.

The hyena immediately turned away from Dru, running toward her human partner. Having realized that she and York had won the match, Dru didn't follow.

"Match over," F.I.L.S.S. said. "Point to Agent York."

York laughed as he helped Wash up, assisting him to the door to get the paint off. "Man, you need to start paying attention."

"Shut up..." he muttered as his hyena reached his side. She nudged his leg and looked up at him. "I'm fine," he assured her. "Really."

"You just suck," York informed him. Wash groaned.

* * *

Wash was still stiff when he reached his quarters.

_~Are you alright?~_

He froze. He didn't recognize the voice he was hearing, but that wasn't the part that made him pause. He heard the voice in his mind. He looked down at his Familiar and stared. "Did you just...?"

_~Yes,~_ the female voice confirmed. She sounded young, almost like how a young teenager would sound.  _~But are you okay?~_

"I'm fine," he said with a nod, still slightly in shock. "Sore, but fine..."

_~You don't sound fine,~_ she accused.

"Everyone thought you were all... too young to bond," he said, opening the door. She followed him inside.

She sat on his bed and tilted her head slightly.  _~Well, looks like they were wrong.~_

A thought suddenly occurred to him. "So... about your name..."

_~Lulu.~_

"Wait, what?"

_~I didn't like any of those names you came up with,~_ she told him.  _~So I picked my own. Lulu.~_

Wash nodded slightly. To him, it didn't really seem like a name that suited her, but if that was what she wanted... "Alright. Lulu."

She looked at him for a second.  _~I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat.~_ There was a slight pause.  _~And you can show off to everyone else that we bonded first.~_

"Alright," he agreed. Maybe he wasn't the best soldier that Freelancer had. But he was the first of their group to bond first, and he figured that had to count for something.

* * *

Apparently, it didn't count for anything.

"Her name's  _Lulu_?" South asked with a laugh.

"It was her idea, not mine..." Wash muttered. He looked down at his newly named and bonded Familiar, who was looking up at South and growling quietly. Kinsey was hissing at her from her partner's shoulder.

"I can't believe you two are bonded when the rest of us aren't..." York said.

"I was actually pretty surprised, too," the younger agent confessed.

"The real question is if it'll actually do you any good," CT teased.

Lulu finally looked away from South and to the other animals. It was weird to think, for her, that the others hadn't managed to bond yet. It had taken a while, but it seemed like it was easy when she did. It was like the connected between the two of them just opened. She wasn't too fond of the way the others were teasing Wash, but she really did like her name. Nothing her partner had suggested really appealed to her, but Lulu just... sounded right. She knew Wash didn't agree, but there was nothing he could do to change her mind. She'd actually grown quite attached to the name a few days ago, before she'd even been able to tell him she picked it.

_~No backing out now, Wash,~_ she told him.

"I know..." he muttered, looking down at her.

"I'm actually a little jealous," North said. He looked at Ayla, who, while she had grown considerably, was still small enough to fit in his lap. "Was there any kind of sign that it was going to happen?"

Wash shook his head. "No. We were just going into our quarters when she just... said something. Like it was the most natural thing in the world."

"I wonder if they've been trying to tell us things, and we just haven't heard them," York speculated. He looked down at Dru. "If so, I'm sorry."

"Here's another big question," South pointed out. "When are the rest of us going to bond?" Everyone else shrugged.

"I have no idea," North answered, everyone else nodding in agreement.

* * *

Lulu wandered the halls of the ship while Wash was in the showers. Now that she could communicate with him and pick up on his emotions, she didn't mind being separated from him for short periods of time. She knew the others spent almost every waking moment with their partners, but once they reached the same point with each other that she had with Wash, she had little doubt they'd feel the same.

She felt eyes on her as she walked, and when she turned, she saw two other Familiars, a Bengal tiger and a maned wolf following her.

**_~What do you want?~_** she asked defensively. These two were significantly larger than her, and it was making her  _very_ uncomfortable.

**_~We heard you finally bonded with your human,~_** the tiger said, studying her. Lulu felt like he was wondering how she'd taste. The wolf didn't make her feel much better.

**_~Don't think that makes you important or anything,~_** the wolf told her, baring her teeth for good measure.  ** _~You're still just a cub.~_**

**_~A scavenger,~_** the tiger added. Lulu began to growl before stopping herself. She wasn't going to pick a fight, especially one she was sure she wouldn't win. She was too young, too small, and too inexperienced. They'd tear her apart in minutes.

The hyena watched them for a long time, not moving. Eventually, she began slowly backing away, eyes never leaving the two larger predators. The wolf took a step to follow.

"Belle!" the animals heard a voice yell, and they all turned to see a Freelancer in tan armor with dark green accents approaching. "Terrorizing the newbie?"

The wolf, Belle, huffed and went to the agent's side. She was still glaring at Lulu. Lulu returned the expression.

Belle looked at the tiger.  ** _~I'll see you later, Noah,~_** she told him before leaving with her partner. Noah nodded.

**_~This isn't over, scavenger,~_** he told Lulu before leaving, presumably to find his own partner.

Lulu decided it was time to go back to Wash. She didn't want any more confrontations with any of the other Freelancer Familiars, especially if there was a possibility of it ending in a fight. She didn't know why those two didn't like her, and it put her on edge. She couldn't help but wonder if all the others felt that way. And if so, why? It wasn't like she'd done anything to anger any of them.

Keeping an eye and an ear out for anyone else, she made her way back to the showers, where she would wait outside until Wash came out.

* * *

Wash frowned as he finished getting dressed. He had been hit with a wave of uneasiness a few minutes ago out of nowhere, and it hadn't dissipated since. He couldn't figure out why, until he left the room to see Lulu sitting, looking stiff and defensive. Her eyes darted around in all directions before settling on Wash. She visibly relaxed, and the feeling of uneasiness lessened, but didn't go away.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

_~I'm fine,~_ she told him.

He raised a brow. "You sure?"

_~I'm sure,~_ she reassured him.  _~I just had a little run in with some of the older Familiars, that's all.~_

"What happened?" Wash asked, immediately concerned.

_~Nothing really. We just had a little talk.~_

Wash didn't believe her for a second, but she didn't look hurt and was already relaxing while they were talking, so he figured it'd be alright to drop the subject.

For now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, in case you haven't figured out, in between the little squiggles is where Familiars are talking. If it's in regular text, they're talking to their human partner, but if it's in bold, then they're talking to each other. That confrontation with the other Familiars was totally unplanned, and I admit that at this moment, I'm not too sure where I'm gonna be taking that, but we'll see. Also, I think it's important to note that I'm not really too fond of this chapter, so if you don't like it or think it was a little weird, I completely understand. It was a little awkward to put together, but... it's kind of filler, but necessary filler.
> 
> See ya on the flipside~ Elisa out~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And chapter 4 has rolled around. Some necessary background information for this chapter is that there's been another time skip. A few more months have passed, and most of the experimental Familiars (that's what I'm calling them now) are almost physically fully grown. They've all bonded with their human partners, and now we've just about reached the point where they're ready to go on missions. They're still training in matches against each other, but that's to be expected, since, well... it happens canonically anyway. I may be bringing in more 'side Freelancers' for this part. Anyway, here we go~

Lulu lay on the floor next to Wash's bed while the man slept. She was looking at Dante, who was on the floor next to Maine's, staring back at her.

 ** _~What?~_** he asked.

 ** _~Have you been having any problems with the other Familiars around here?~_** she queried.  ** _~Not like Ezra and the others, but the older ones. Have they said anything to you, or...?~_**

 ** _~Not really,~_** the bobcat answered.  ** _~Why? Do they bother you?~_**

Lulu paused for a moment. The older Familiars, just like Noah and Belle on the day she'd bonded with Wash, had shot harsh comments her way, calling her weak and a scavenger. Now, it looked like she was the only one.  ** _~No,~_** she lied.  ** _~Just curious.~_**

With that, she put her head down and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.

* * *

Ayla paced back and forth outside the training floor. She and North would be participating in a training match against Carolina and Ezra. She wasn't too sure how it was going to go. Despite the fact that neither of them were completely their full size, Ezra weighed significantly more than she did, and Carolina was one of the best in the Project. She didn't doubt her partner's abilities, but she knew North's only hope would be to keep his distance. Carolina was much better in close combat, but if they remained far enough from each other to have to rely on firearms, he might stand a chance.

"I want you to try to focus on Ezra, think you can do that?" North asked her. "I'm going to need a clear shot."

Ayla nodded.  _~Keep your distance,~_ she told him in return.

North gave a small laugh. "Planned on it."

Ayla grew stiff when the door opened. She stepped carefully into the room with her partner, feeling his hand on her head. "Relax," he told her softly as they walked. "We got this."

The lynx took a moment to calm herself down. North was right. She just needed to focus.

Carolina was just entering the other side of the floor, checking her weapon. She was carrying only a handgun while North was wielding his rifle. It'd be easier to holster and switch to hand-to-hand combat.

Ezra watched her, but she refused to let him know she was nervous. He and Carolina had won every match they'd had so far. She and North had won to Wash and Lulu, CT and Kora, and had gotten lucky with Indiana and Noah. But they'd lost to Maine and Dante, South and Kinsey, and Wyoming and Archie. North had had the upper hand against his twin, so Ayla knew it was her fault that they'd lost. Kinsey had wrapped around her torso to get a good grip and had sunk her fangs into her neck. Even with the anti-venom, she was on the ground, losing consciousness. Everyone knew that the cobra's venom was stronger than most, but Ayla hadn't expected it to work as quickly as it did.

She shook herself out of her thoughts.  _Focus_ , she thought as two dark eyes stared her down from across the room. She tried not to show fear.

"Match begin," F.I.L.S.S. said and Ezra shot toward her faster than she expected. She moved to the side, baring her teeth and trying to ignore what else was going on around her. She had to ignore the battle between North and Carolina. Right now, everything was about her and Ezra.

She charged him. Judging the distance between the two and hoping the wolverine hadn't expected it, she jumped. He dodged to the side and she skidded across the flood.

 ** _~Are we just going to keep dancing, or are we actually going to fight?~_** he taunted. She growled and charged again. Just like before, he was expecting it, but this time he met her head on, hitting her shoulder to shoulder and knocking her to the side. She stood hastily before he had the chance to catch her while she was down. They weren't losing a match because of her, not this time.

She chanced a look over at where the humans were fighting. Carolina had just gotten in close, forcing North to abandon his rifle. All he could do now was block and hope for an opening. The match was as good as over, but she wasn't giving up.

Looking back at her own opponent, she saw Ezra just watching her. She approached him, teeth bared once again. He was taunting her, knowing his partner would win over hers in moments. She wouldn't have it.

Ayla had almost reached him when F.I.L.S.S.'s voice filled the room. "Match over. Point to Agent Carolina."

 ** _~Don't give yourself into your anger,~_** Ezra told her, demeanor now different than it had been while they were fighting. He closed the distance between them and nudged her side gently, probably in a sign of reassurance that she didn't want, but probably needed.  ** _~Anger makes you sloppy and open to attacks that you could easily dodge or counter. Remember that.~_** And with those words, he turned, following Carolina out the doo.

"Are you alright?" North asked Ayla as she walked back. She was surprised that she hadn't suffered any injuries in the battle. Then again, it hadn't lasted long enough for either of them to land a hit.

 _~Fine,~_ she told him.  _~Just... frustrated.~_

"I know how you feel," the agent replied, hand reaching down to scratch her head lightly. "Carolina's tough to beat."

She looked up at him.  _~Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did.~_

He gave a short laugh. "Don't worry," he said with a small smile in his voice. "Me, too."

* * *

CT sat in the rec. room, Kora by her side. The snow leopard was watching the doorway, seeming a bit on edge.

"Are you alright?" the brunette asked her Familiar.

 _~Something doesn't feel right,~_ she replied.  _~It hasn't for a while. There's something... wrong about the Project.~_

CT frowned slightly. Kora was right. She knew the other Freelancers, the ones that had been there before her and the others in the experimental group, were giving her weird, and sometimes suspicious looks. They saw her and the others as different, but she didn't know how.

But she also knew they had to be right, somehow. Why else would the Director have taken the time and gone to the trouble of genetically engineering nine animals specified to each of them? The Director had some sort of plan for them. CT just wished she knew what it was.

* * *

Maine sent a punch toward the concrete block in front of him. As expected, a large crack spread through it like a spider web. Another strike caused it to shatter, debris flying everywhere. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dante darting back and forth, focusing on the moving holographic targets. He doubted the bobcat even noticed him.

Dante dove at one of the targets, flying through it. As he made contact, it disappeared. Spinning midair, he landed in a low crouch, facing the other targets. He growled, advancing on one. It took the shape of a much larger animal, a male African lion. He saw the image flicker and could only imagine that F.I.L.S.S. had put a lion-shaped field around it, causing it to be just as solid as a real lion. The other targets vanished.

Dante growled as his holographic opponent advanced. He shot forward, but was batted aside once he was in range.

The bobcat shook his head quickly, getting his bearings as the artificial lion ran at him. Maine knew it was for his Familiar to practice against animals much larger than he was, but he wasn't completely sure Dante was ready for a fight like this.

Dante, however, was determined to prove him wrong.

He ducked out of the way as the lion pounced. Using his momentum, he bounced back off the ground and onto the lion's back. Without hesitation, he bit down on its neck. The lion disappeared, causing Dante to drop to the floor, landing easily on his feet.

Now that their small fight was over, Maine could see his partner favoring one side, the one he'd fallen on. The adrenaline had probably helped him push through, but now that it was dying down, Dante was obviously beginning to feel the pain.

"Medical," Maine told him.

 _~I'm fine,~_ he protested, turning toward the door. He began to walk, but the limp was obvious.

" _Now._ "

* * *

North was just leaving the medical bay with Ayla when he saw Maine heading over, carrying Dante.

"What happened?" he asked.

Maine just nodded in the direction he came. North looked down the hall, realizing the larger agent had come from the training room.

 ** _~What happened?~_** Ayla asked, concerned, echoing her partner.

 ** _~Nothing, I'm fine,~_  **Dante grumbled in return.

Her eyes narrowed.  ** _~You're not fine. If you were, Maine wouldn't be carrying you.~_**

He was quiet for a moment as their humans talked.  ** _~Training,~_** he finally said.  ** _~F.I.L.S.S. made a lion. Apparently I wasn't ready.~_**

If she'd had the ability, Ayla would have frowned. She watched as Maine took his partner into the medical bay to get looked at.

When the doors closed, North looked down at her. "Did he tell you anything?"

 _~Training problems,~_ she informed him.  _~He was up against one of the holograms.~_

"I don't know why he didn't schedule a match with someone else," North said with a sigh.

 _~Maybe he just wanted to work alone,~_ Ayla replied.  _~Like Carolina and Ezra sometimes.~_

The blonde looked at the door, behind which Dante was being examined and treated. "I hope he's okay."

 _~He'll be fine,~_ the lynx told him, rubbing against his leg slightly.  _~That's probably not the worst hit any of us will take.~_

That didn't make North feel any better.

* * *

Wash had just finished firing at the holographic targets when F.I.L.S.S. spoke. "Agent Washington, the Director would like you and Lulu to report to the briefing room."

"Alright..." Wash said, putting down his gun. Lulu fell into step beside him.

 _~Did you do anything?~_ the hyena asked him as they walked.

"Not that I know of..." he replied, slightly nervous.

Wash took a deep breath before he entered the briefing room. The other Freelancers that had been granted Familiars were already there, accompanied by said Familiars.

Once he stood at attention in line with the others, the Director spoke. "Your Familiars have reached the stage where they will be cleared for the field. This means, of course, that they will be outfitted with some armor of their own to prevent them from being easy targets for the enemy." He motioned to a box on the table in front of them. "We've just finished developing a new device that should do the job nicely."

"Experimental armor for experimental Familiars..." Wash heard CT mutter.

The Director either hadn't heard her or was ignoring her. He picked up what appeared to be a single metal plate, about the size of a fist, and placed it on his own Familiar's chest, clicking a button in the center. A shimmer seemed to spread across his body, giving him a slightly dark tinted look. "The armor will protect your Familiars from gunshots, knives, claws, and teeth, while still allowing them to attack with their own.

The nine Freelancers looked at the box. Caroline was the first to put the device on her Familiar. Clicking it, just as the Director had done, she watched as a lighter blue sheen, not unlike the color of her armor, spread over the wolverine. It wasn't overly noticeable, but it was definitely clear that something was different.

Florida put his on Lupin, who was covered in a blue tint. The other Freelancers followed their lead. Matching their partner's armor colors, Ayla was encompassed by a dark purple sheen, Dru a tan that was just barely noticeable, Kora a brown, Dante a while, Lulu a grey, and Kinsey, donning a much smaller device than the rest, a lighter purpler. Archie didn't seem to be different, but there was an odd shine to him that wasn't there before.

The Director had already removed the device from his Familiar. "Agents, you will be placed on the missions roster within the next few days. But for now, you are dismissed."

"Yes, Sir!"

* * *

York laughed slightly at the way Dru and Ayla were walking. He and North had been heading back to the room they shared, but their Familiars couldn't stop staring at the pieces of metal on their chests. This resulted in them tilting their heads down as far as they could, eyes focused even further down, causing them to bump into other Freelancers as they passed. Dru actually stopped once, trying to paw at it curiously. That hadn't ended very well.

"Come on, you dorks," North said with a laugh of his own as they reached their door. Both men entered, trailed by their Familiars. The lion and lynx bumped into each other a few times, mesmerized by the armor devices on their chests.

York knelt down next to Dru, clicking the button on the plate, causing the near invisible armor to disappear. He set it down on his bedside table and North followed his lead with Ayla.

"This is a pretty interesting piece of tech," York commented. "How much money do you think the Director put into developing it?"

"I don't know," North replied. "How much do you think he put into them?" He nodded toward their two Familiars, who were settling themselves onto the floor next to their respective partner's bed.

York shook his head. "It's weird to think that they... weren't actually born, you know?" At the questioning look he received from the blonde, he continued. "I mean, think about it. The Director said they engineered them. You can't just guarantee someone would bond with an animal naturally. I don't know how he did it, but... they're not natural. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but still..."

North looked down at Ayla, who yawned. "I guess you're right..." he said eventually. "But does that really even matter?"

York looked down at his own Familiar, who looked back up at him with big amber eyes. "I guess not."

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still a little awkward in some places. I'm not the best with fight scenes, as you can probably figure out. But I'm trying. And I'll get better with time. The thing is, I'm used to trying to write people fighting. Now I'm working with animals, so I have to try to take into account size, weight, natural advantages, natural disadvantages, and overall level of skill from training. With some of them it might be a little bit easier, but I very highly doubt I'd be able to find a record of a polar bear fighting a lion for reference. So I'm kinda playing this stuff by ear. I liked this chapter better than the last one, though.
> 
> See ya on the flipside~ Elisa out~


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I was having a difficult time figuring out how to start this. I just hope you guys enjoy it. Here we go with Familiar Territory chapter 5~

Alarms blared in Wash's ear as he ran, hand tight around his gun, Lulu by his side.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this," he muttered, ducking behind a crate when he head the footfalls of many running soldiers. He tried to keep his breathing quiet while they looked for him and his Familiar. Depending on the Familiars of the soldiers, however, it might be just a matter of minutes before they were discovered.

_~Where are the others?~_ Lulu asked, looking around for some sign of their team.

"I don't know," Wash whispered. Footsteps approached and he took a deep breath, preparing to leave his cover in order to take the other soldier down. He had no idea how many others were still out there, but he might not have a choice.

A single gunshot rang through the air and the footsteps stopped, the thud of a body hitting the floor immediately following. He risked a glance around the crate. A coyote was growling, looking around with crazed eyes, ready to jump at anyone around it. Its partner lay dead by its side.

It turned and locked eyes with him before leaping. Before he or Lulu had time to react, a bobcat had launched through the air, landing on its back. The coyote turned, trying to attack, but he held on.

Maine ran over, pulling Wash up as Dante continued his fight with the coyote. "Go," he said simply, and Wash nodded in response before turning and running. He couldn't let the enemy get their hands on the chip he'd taken. He needed to get to the extraction point.

He turned a corner to see almost ten men standing with their Familiars. They immediately raised their guns, and Wash gulped. Lulu growled, and that growl quickly turned into a laughing bark. Some of the enemy Familiars looked nervous for a second before regaining their composure. Before they could react any further, though, Lulu had already moved. She rammed into one of them, and African wild dog, knocking it to the side easily. She spun, teeth latching on to the back of its neck. She shook her head fiercely, letting it go when she heard the snap of its neck. She noticed one of the soldiers dropping to his knees, no doubt feeling the sudden shattering of the bond he'd shared with the canine.

Lulu almost lost her footing when a weight dropped down on her. An arctic wolf was trying to pull the same trick with her that she'd done to its comrade. Her legs were shaking; she'd never borne this kind of weight before. She had to shake it loose before it overpowered her. If she fell, it would all be over, high tech armor or no.

There was a gunshot and the wolf fell. She looked to see a hole in the side of its head.

"You okay?" Wash asked.

She nodded.  _~I'm fine. Thanks.~_ Looking back at their enemies, she saw that Maine and Dante had joined them.  _~I almost feel bad for them,~_ she said as they watched the white armored behemoth take out soldier after soldier.

"Right?"

**_~I don't mean to break up the fun,~_**   Dante told Lulu.  ** _~But we need to get out of here now. Maine placed a charge back there.~_** He nodded in the direction they came.  ** _~This place is going to blow in two minutes.~_**

Lulu relayed the information to her partner. With a nod, Wash ran to the extraction point, Lulu by his side with Maine and Dante close behind.

The ship was just landing when they arrived. Without prompting, the door opened and Wash ran inside, strapping himself in. He sight in relief when the ship began taking off.

"So," 479er asked from the pilot's cabin. "You get it?"

Wash removed the chip from the safety compartment he's kept it in. "Yeah. We got it."

Addilyn, 479er's prairie falcon Familiar, swooped in from her perch behind her partner.  ** _~You alright?~_** she asked Lulu and Dante.

The hyena nodded.  ** _~Fine,~_** she answered. She looked at Dante. He seemed a little worse for weak, a small gash in his side, still bleeding.

Dante caught her look.  ** _~I'm fine,~_** he told her.  ** _~Just a little banged up.~_**

She gave him a disbelieving look, but said no more.

* * *

"You were lucky none of you were killed!" the Director said harshly as Wash and Maine stood at attention, Familiars by their side. Wash tried not to react as his name slid down a few places on the leader board. It had been his fault they'd been caught. He'd accidentally tripped the alarm. "At least you got the information we need," he added, holding up the chip, studying it.

"Um, Sir?" the blonde began before he could stop himself. "What's on that chip?"

"That is none of your business, Agent Washington," the Director said, and it took everything Wash had to not curl in on himself. The older man gave him and Maine another long look. "Agents, you are dismissed."

As soon as the words were out of the Director's mouth, Was was out the door. Maine raised a brow under his helmet and Dante tilted his head slightly as they watched him go. Lulu gave them both an apologetic look before leaving to follow her partner.

_~Are  you alright, Wash?~_ she asked.

He shrugged. "I feel like he treats me worse than the others sometimes," he said quietly, hoping no one they passed would overhear them. "He still acts like Carolina's something special, but me..." He sighed. "I'm just another soldier. A really, really bad one."

Lulu leaned against against his leg and he felt a wave of reassurance pass through their bond.  _~Whatever he thinks about you, you're so much more than that,~_ she told him.

He smiled at her, but the gesture was hidden by his helmet. "Thanks."

"Hey!" he heard. He turned to see York jogging toward him, in armor but without his helmet. "So, how'd the mission go?" Wash's shoulders slumped. "That good, huh?"

"I tripped the alarm," he muttered.

The brunette laughed and patted him on the back. "It's okay, man, we've all been there."

**_~I saw Maine bring Dante to the medical bay,~_** Dru told Lulu, head slightly tilted.  ** _~I thought our armor was supposed to keep us from getting hurt.~_**

**_~His must have malfunctioned,~_** Lulu replied.  ** _~They're still new and experimental. There's bound to be some bugs, right?~_**

Dru paused, thinking that over.  ** _~Yeah,~_** she finally agreed.  ** _~I just hope one of those bugs won't get any of us killed some day.~_**

* * *

Lulu sat outside the locker room as Wash showered. She tensed when she caught some movement in the corner of her eyes, but relaxed when she saw it was only Ezra. She was worried that it was one of the older Familiars, and after the mission, she wasn't in the mood to deal with them.

**_~How's he doing?~_**  the wolverine asked.

Lulu cocked her head.  ** _~What do  you mean?~_**

**_~We heard about the mission,~_**   Ezra replied.  ** _~So how's he holding up?~_**

**_~He's upset,~_** the hyena reported.  ** _~He tripped the alarm, and the Director wasn't too happy about that.~_**

**_~They're still having issues?~_**  Ezra asked.

Lulu nodded.  ** _~They probably always will. I don't know why the Director has such a problem with him.~_**

There was a pause.  ** _~Do you remember early on in the Project, when Wash and Carolina had that talk?~_**

**_~Yeah...~_** Lulu said, not completely sure where he was going with that.

_**~I think Carolina was right. The Director wasn't happy that Wash went off to war when that's how they lost Allison.~**_ Ezra looked at the door.  ** _~I'm glad he's not doing too bad, thought.~_**

Lulu thought for a moment.  ** _~Did Carolina asked you to check up on us?~_**

The wolverine was quiet for a moment.  ** _~She did,~_** he confirmed.  ** _~It would look a little suspicious if she came to ask herself, wouldn't it? To everyone else here, they barely know each other. So why would she feel the need to check on him when she hasn't done so with anyone else?~_**

**_~But you could just be running into me and just be curious...~_** Lulu realized. It had been a pretty smart plan. Considering the fact that the Familiars sometimes wandered around without their partners, no one would question one animal asking another something in passing.

Ezra gave her a small nod.  ** _~I should probably get going,~_** he told her.  ** _~I'll see you later.~_** He began to walk away.

**_~Yeah,~_** she replied, watching him go.  ** _~See you.~_**

* * *

Wash stared up at the ceiling of his room, hands clasped behind his head as he lay on his bed. Maine had walked in with Dante a few minutes ago, and the two men sat in companionable silence. Wash finally glanced over at the bobcat to see his side wrapped in bandages.

"Hey, is he okay?" he asked. Maine replied with a 'so-so' hand motion.

**_~According to the medics, my armor shorted out for a second and one of the enemies got in a lucky hit,~_** Dante told Lulu, who relayed the information to her partner.

Wash frowned. "Is the armor really that safe for them, then?" he asked. "I mean, if it malfunctions like that, there's gotta be some kind of issue with them."

_~They're experimental, Wash,~_ Lulu said.  _~I was talking to Dru about this earlier. There are going to be some issued for a while. These things are probably still in beta.~_

Wash frowned. "That doesn't make me feel much better." At Maine's confused look, he said, "Lulu said that the armor's experimental so there are going to be issues with them."

Maine nodded in agreement, hand resting on Dante's back. The bobcat yawned and curled up against his leg. Maine huffed a small laugh.

"I think Dante's got the right idea," Wash joked. "See you in the morning, Maine." The larger man grunted in response before turning off the light.

* * *

CT pressed the armor device on Kora's chest, watching as a brown sheen spread over her partner. From what she heard about what happened to Dante on his last mission, she didn't trust the tech, but it was better than nothing.

They'd gotten intel from the data Wash and Maine had retrieved about a potential base of the Insurrection. She, Virginia, and Illinois were being sent to scout it, to see if the intel had been correct. And if it had, they were to look for a way in. They were instructed to not engage the enemy, but if they were spotted, they wouldn't let the soldiers who found them raise the alarm.

Illinois's partner, an arctic fox named Yolanda, paced back and forth on the ship they were being transported on. Virginia's partner, a badger named Kenton, seemed just as restless. Kora was the only one of them that seemed calm.

Illinois looked at CT before turning his gaze to Kora. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"She doesn't really look like she has any armor." The aqua armored Freelancer nodded toward Yolanda and Kenton, who were covered in a mesh similar to the under armor suits, Kevlar covering their vital spots.

"The Director gave us some new type of armor," CT replied, ignoring the looks Illinois and Virginia were no doubt giving her under their helmets. It might have escaped the notice of most of the others, but the brunette knew that all the other Freelancers were either curious or suspicious about her and the other members of the experimental group. Having been given genetically engineered Familiars and experimental armor, she didn't blame them. She was suspicious of the whole thing, as well.

Kora looked up at her, picking up on her unease.  _~Are you worried about the mission?~_

CT nodded slightly, but she knew the snow leopard picked up on her meaning: she was worried about their mission, but she was also worried about what the Director was planning for them.

"We'll be landing in five," 479er's voice came from the intercom. "Get ready."

Kora gave CT a reassuring look as they waited to land.

Five minutes later, they were on the ground, hatch opening for them to get out. They left quickly, knowing there was a limited time frame before anyone noticed the ship that had landed.

Illinois, taking charge, moved up slowly before holding a hand up, stopping them. He held a hand to his ear, cupping it. They listened for a moment before hearing boots on the metal floor. The insurrectionists were coming. He pointed to CT before pointing down a hall. There were storage crates she could use to get there and continue without being seen. He then pointed to Virginia and motioned for him to follow. The two men started moving up while CT made a break for the other hallway. They and their Familiars were providing her cover. Of the three of them, she was the smallest, so it only made sense for her and Kora, the fastest of the three animals, to go on ahead and scout the place out more.

CT made sure to take quick but careful steps, being as quiet as possible. Kora was a silent but comforting presence by her side.

_~Are the others going to be okay?~_ Kora asked.

CT nodded. "They're good in the field. And with Yolanda and Kenton there, they won't have any problems," she whispered.

Hearing movement approaching her, she pressed against the wall, hoping the storage crates hid her well enough. Kora crouched down.

The woman let out a sigh of relief when the footsteps passed, and turned to move when she ran into something solid. Her eyes widened when she saw the armored man looking at her, flanked by a few soldiers. A tarantula was on his shoulder.

"What do we have here?" the man asked. Kora bared her teeth, but the other Familiars were on the two of them before she could move. CT caught a glimpse of Kora's head being looped in a catch pole before there was a sharp pain in the back of her head and then... nothing.

* * *

Illinois and Virginia stood among the bodies of the soldiers and animals they'd taken down. Their Familiars were ahead, making sure there wasn't anything coming their way. They'd survived, but they definitely needed a breather.

"Hey, did you head back from CT yet?" Virginia asked.

Illinois shook his head. "Nothing." He paused. "She should have checked in by now."

Virginia frowned as their Familiars returned. Extraction would be in just a few minutes. This was supposed to be a quick in and out job, so they weren't given much time.

_~What's going on?~_ Yolanda asked.

"CT's missing," her partner informed her.

_~KIA?~_

"We don't know," Illinois said. "For now, let's assume she's just captured."

Virginia sighed as their ride came into view. "Oh boy," he said. "I do  _not_  want to be the one to have to tell that to the Director."

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, guys, I'm really, really sorry about the lateness. I know it's been a few weeks, but between figuring out how to start this thing and getting ready for college transfer, it's made writing pretty difficult. I have a lot of last minute stuff I need to get done next week, so I can't guarantee an update then, but once the semester starts, I hope to be able to get back on track with all of this. Sorry!
> 
> See ya on the flipside~ Elisa out~


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, college has started, but it's not too bad. Not great, but considering I'm away from home, it's a little daunting. Anyway, here we go with chapter six~

Everyone could tell that the Director was in a foul mood, no doubt due to the loss of CT. He'd put a lot of money into developing Kora, and now she was in enemy hands, not to mention the fact that the Insurrectionists might glean some valuable information from CT.

Wash watched as Carolina, York, and North headed to the docking bay with their Familiars. They were being sent to retrieve the woman and snow leopard.

Dru caught Wash's worried expression. She knew that he and CT were good friends.  ** _~She'll be okay,~_** she told Lulu, knowing that the hyena would pass on the message.

Lulu nodded in acknowledgment before relaying the information to Wash.

"I hope so..." he whispered.

* * *

"So..." York said as they waited to land. "You think we'll find her?"

"Probably," Carolina replied. "But in what condition, I have no idea."

_~That's comforting...~_ Dru commented to her partner.

"It's only been a few days," North pointed out. "That's not a lot of time to get much information. So she had to still be alive. You can't get any info from a dead soldier."

"That's morbid," York commented.

_~But true.~_

Ezra looked at the other Familiars.  ** _~We need to make sure we have their backs,~_** he told them. He looked at Carolina.  _~I think we should stick together. That was their first mistake.~_

Carolina nodded. "We're sticking together as a group," she told them. "CT and Kora were captured because he team wasn't there to watch her back. We're not making that mistake."

"Right," both men said in unison.

The six of them felt the jolt of the ship landing and were on their feet before the hatch finished opening.

* * *

"They're here for me," CT said. "And they won't stop looking until they find me."

"Then go," Zane, the leader of the Insurrection, told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

**_~Be careful, the both of you,~_** Devin, the tarantula on his shoulder said.

Kora nodded.  ** _~We will.~_**

"I'll keep in contact," CT assured them. She didn't want to go back, not after what she'd learned. But she had to keep playing the Director's game in order to help bring him down.

* * *

"Is anyone else finding it a little weird that we haven't seen  _anyone_ yet?" York asked.

Carolina was about to reply when they heard the sound of running footsteps. The three soldiers aimed their weapons, their Familiars taking battle stances. They relaxed slightly, however, when a familiar brown clad figure ran toward them, snow leopard in tow.

"We need to go, now," she told them in a hurried tone. "I managed to slip away when they were changing guards, but I don't know how long it'll be until they find me."

North immediately commed 479er. "We found her," he told her.

"Already?" the pilot asked. "Alright, I'll be there in five. Think you can hold out until then?"

"Pretty sure we've got it—" The blonde was cut off by a group of soldiers rounding the corner. "—covered..."

Carolina fired first, hitting one of the Insurrectionists in the shoulder. His Familiar, a German Shepard, ran at her, but was intercepted by Ezra, who jumped, landing on its back, claws digging into its side. It tried to bite him, but its teeth didn't break through the wolverine's armor.

North looked down at Ayla. "Cover them." He nodded to Kora and CT. "Make sure they make it to the LZ."

_~What about you?~_ she asked.

"I'll be fine," he promised. "Now go."

The lynx looked at him for a moment longer before turning and nudging Kora. She nodded the direction she and the others had come from. Nodding in understanding, the snow leopard began to run, CT close behind. Ayla was behind them, making sure they weren't followed.

"You sure that was a good idea, sending her off like that?" York asked, firing at another Insurrectionist. The man dropped, his baboon Familiar going savage. It ran in the brunette's direction, but a bullet was put through its head before it had the chance to reach him. He sent Carolina a grateful nod.

"She'll be fine," North replied, resorting to hand-to-hand combat with another soldier.

"I'm not worried about her," York stated.

"I'll be fine, too," the blonde informed him.

"Whatever you say," he muttered, shooting the tiger running at him.

* * *

Wash watched as the other Freelancers left the ship, relieved to see that CT and Kora were with them. "Hey, Connie!" he called. When she walked over, he asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, but something seemed... off.

The blonde frowned. "Are you sure? You seem... different."

"I said I'm fine, Wash," she said in an irritated tone. 

Lulu looked at Kora. **_~What happened to you guys out there?~_** she asked.

**_~That's none of your concern,~_** she replied. She didn't sound as bitter as her partner, but she was still obviously irritated.

Wash and Lulu watched as the two left, almost stalking off. "Something's not right..." he said quietly.

_~I have to agree with you there.~_

* * *

"I hear CT's in a bad mood," Florida said, taking his set across from Wyoming. "Any idea what that's about? 

Wyoming raised a brow. "Do I look like I gossip?" he asked. "I haven't asked, and no one's said anything to me."

_~I'd be in a bad mood too, if I was captured by the enemy for a few days,~_ Lupin commented.

Florida nodded. "True." At the look he received from Wyoming, he elaborated, "Lupin said that being captured probably had something to do with it." He paused. "Come to think of it, she had no way of knowing if we'd come rescue her at all or not. I guess that'd make anyone a little irritated."

"If that was the case, one would think she'd be happy to be back," the white-clad Freelancer stated.

"Maybe she thought we should have gotten there sooner?" Florida contemplated.

**_~He's got a point,~_** Archie commented. **_~If we were captured, I'd want someone to come get us immediately. She probably thought we gave up on her.~_**

Lupin nodded. **_~I'd probably think the same thing,~_** he confessed. **_~So what do we do?~_**

**_~I'm not sure there's anything we can do,~_** the polar bear replied.

* * *

CT stood at the communications terminal. Glancing around to make sure no one was around, she turned it on, opening contact with Zane 

"I wanted to make sure I could get in contact with you," she told him when he answered. "Make sure that the call wouldn't be blocked."

"Is it being traced?"

"I don't think so." CT paused. "I'm sorry so many of your people were killed today."

Zane frowned. After a short moment, he said, "They knew what they were getting themselves into." It was clear, though, that their deaths hurt him.

CT sighed. "I'll try to find as much information as I can about what the Director's been doing," she promised. She heard footsteps down the hall. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later." She disconnected the call a second before Illinois and Yolanda rounded the corner.

Illinois, not wearing his helmet, smiled. "Thank God you're alright," he said. "I'm so sorry we left you there."

"It's fine," CT told him. And it was. With the Insurrectionists, she'd learned a lot these past few days. She just needed a bit more time.

She needed enough information to be able to bring the Director down.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is so much shorter than the others, and I'm really sorry about that. But I started running low on time, and this is basically as long as I could get it. I think the next chapter is where we'll hit canon content, starting with the beginning of the first Freelancer flashback (though it might start a little before that, like at the beginning of the mission North and South are on). There will eventually be a story full of a bunch of bonus pieces, so I might add in some stuff that would have happened between this chapter and the next one, but I'm having trouble thinking of new stuff right now. Anyway...
> 
> See ya on the flipside~ Elisa out~


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SOOOO sorry about how long this took. School kinda took over everything, but now I'm back. Also, I would like to note that because this is where the canon content starts, chapters are gonna start getting significantly longer.
> 
> (Also be aware that for a while, to make up for my several month hiatus, I'm just posting when I finish a chapter for a little while. I'll eventually go back to my normal schedule, but for now...)
> 
> Anyway, enjoy~

"You guys ready?" 479er asked from the cockpit. 

Under her helmet, South smirked. "You kidding?" she asked. "We were born ready."

Once they landed, North turned for one of the towers. "I'll be your eyes," he told her. "You get in and get the information."

South nodded. "Got it." With that, she was off, Kinsey wrapped around her arm.

_~You're worried,~_ Ayla commented, looking at North as he watched his twin go.

"Of course I am," he replied. "She takes too many risks, and she's going to get herself hurt one of these days..."

_~She'll be fine,~_ the lynx told him. _~She's got Kinsey with her. And if she's not... well, that's why we're here.~_

The purple-clad Freelancer checked the scope of his weapon as he headed for the tower. He had to make sure he'd be able to keep an eye on her.

* * *

 

South made her way quickly through the facility. She was only a few rooms away from the objective when she heard voices. Pressing against the wall, Kinsey draped over her shoulders, she listened. 

"Yeah, that's Jenkins," a male voice said as two sets of footsteps approached.

"You know I had terminal duty eight weeks straight? Eight weeks, man!" another voice complained. South rolled her eyes.

"Well, lucky you."

"And then I make one fucking comment about the CO to Jenkins," the second guy continued.

South heard one set of footsteps get closer. The other must have stopped at the nearby terminal. Kinsey slipped off her, dropping quietly to the floor while the woman easily made her way up into the rafters.

"Uh huh, that's great."

The man was in view now, as was his Familiar, a red fox. South slipped a length of rope from a hidden compartment in her armor while Kinsey coiled, ready to strike. They tuned the other guy out as they got to work. They had to move fast. South was already loosening the rope when her Familiar struck, fangs sinking into the fox's neck, pumping her venom into the small mammal. The rope dropped level with the man's face, and before he could react, South moved, tightening it around the guy's neck and pulling. He was too busy choking to make any sort of noise, but South broke his neck and slashed his throat for good measure, just in case.

"Murphy?" South froze, looking toward the doorway. She glanced toward Kinsey.

_~He's dead,~_ the cobra informed her, uncoiling from her grip around the fox.

South nodded in acknowledgment as she tied the rope around the guy's feet, tying the other end to the beam she crouched on. Without much more thought, she pushed him off.

"Come on Murphy," the guy in the other room called. "Hey, where are you? Murph. Stop messing around. Murph!"

Acting quickly, South pressed a hand to the side of her helmet. "Hello," she said quietly, adjusting her voice modulator. "Hello," she repeated as she found the right tone.

"Yeah, in here," she replied, mimicking the dead man's voice. "Thought I heard something."

The man laughed. "Oh yeah? What'd you hear, a ghost?" He walked into the room, and South dropped behind him. The man stopped laughing when he saw the body of his dead friend, dripping blood on the floor in front of him.

"I guess you could say that," South said, turning off the modulator. The man spun, and her fist shot out, catching him in the throat. His Familiar, an adolescent chimpanzee, dove at her. She ducked, catching the gun the man dropped when his hands went to his throat. She kicked him out onto the platform and back fisted him over the edge.

As predicted, the chimp went crazy. Instead of going after South, though, it grabbed Kinsey, stretching her as though it was trying to rip her in half.

_~South!~_

"Gotcha!" the woman said, kicking the chimp in the head, knocking it back, but it didn't let go of Kinsey. South hit it with the butt of the gun, aiming right for the temple. She didn't want to fire, not if she had to. The gunshot would no doubt lead every guard within earshot straight to her position. But at the same time, she couldn't just leave her Familiar.

Once the metal connected with the chimp, it dropped Kinsey, dazed. South took that opportunity to grab it by the arm and hauled it onto the walkway, throwing it over the edge just as she had to its human partner.

Now that that was done, she could relax a little. Kinsey slithered over to her, and she bent down, holding out one arm for the snake to wrap around while the other hand went to her helmet radio. "Hey," she said quietly. "We clear?"

"Yes, South, you're clear, but watch your corners," North said through the comm link. "The smoke is good for cover, but it's playing hell with my thermals. And the cold isn't helping."

"How's Ayla?"

"She's fine," her brother assured her. "Kinsey?"

"She's good. Got grabbed by a chimp, but she doesn't seem too bad off. Right?"

_~I'm fine,~_ the cobra confirmed.

"She's good," South reported. "How much time do we have?"

"Don't worry about that, worry about the objective," North told her. "Next patrol is in twenty seconds."

"I'll be gone before that," she assured him, already moving. The walkway was clear for the moment, but it wouldn't last long.

"Slow down and set your motion tracker," North said as she jumped, landing on a soldier below. His gun went flying and she stomped on his neck to make sure he was dead. She didn't see any Familiar nearby.

Catching his gun as it fell, she said, "Nah, takes too long."

"So does getting caught," North pointed out. "Set your trackers."

South set the gun down and took off.

_~He has a point,~_ Kinsey told her as they moved.

"Not you, too," South muttered.

"Kinsey agrees, huh?" North asked and South cursed to herself. She'd forgotten to turn off her end for the moment.

"Shut up." She snuck through a door and immediately hid behind one of the large terminals. She was lucky no one saw her come in, and she knew that.

She could practically feel the nerves North was giving off when he spoke. "South, I do not have a visual in there. I can't be your eyes if I can't see."

"Don't worry," she told him, sneaking from terminal to terminal, never taking her eyes off the guards around her. "I got this."

About ten seconds passed before she heard North's voice again. "South, talk to me," he demanded.

"Not right now, North," she hissed. Didn't he understand that she was in a room literally filled with the enemy? She saw what she was looking for, luckily located in a back corner where no one could see. "I see the objective," she assured him. "Going to initiate transfer."

"Sounds like that could take a while," North replied in what South assumed was supposed to be nonchalance. "Enough time to set your goddamn tracker. There's bound to be some—"

She didn't like the way he suddenly cut off. "What?"

"There's something odd on thermal," he told her. "Two small dots."

South stared at the terminal, watching the percentage slowly climb. "Come on, come on," she muttered impatiently.

"South!" North sounded slightly alarmed. "Check your six! I think something in there."

The woman spun, gun raised. Of all the things she thought she would see, a soldier with two cups of coffee accompanied by a doe was not one of them. The two stared at each other as Kinsey uncoiled and dropped to the floor. The soldier watched her before looking back at South, and then at the alarm switch to his right.

"Don't even think about it," South warned, grip tightening on her gun. Kinsey slithered closer to the deer, who was backpedaling in a panic.

The soldier looked down at Kinsey while she got steadily closer. He kicked at her, sending her flying into the wall. South's eyes narrowed as her Familiar hit the wall. There was a strong feeling of alarm that flashed through her mind, but she pushed it aside. The soldier was now running for the alarm. She fired, but she was too late. As the man was falling, he reached out, and his hand latched onto the alarm.

"Fuck..." she muttered, removing the chip from the terminal. "It's about to get loud," she warned North, heading for the wall that Kinsey had hit. She was making her way to her human partner, but her progress was too slow for South's liking.

"On our way!" North informed her as she scooped up Kinsey, inspecting her for injuries. She seemed a little banged up, but thanks to the armor she'd been provided, she was more sore than actually injured.

* * *

 

North looked at Ayla and nodded. Without a word, he vaulted over the railing if his perch and stuck his landing, Ayla landing gracefully on her feet beside him. Before the soldiers in front of them could react, North grabbed their heads and cracked their skulls together. "Well, so much for keeping quiet." 

_~No kidding,~_ Ayla replied, a komodo dragon on one side and a skunk on the other. The fact that they weren't trying to savagely rip her apart informed both her and her partner that he hadn't killed the men, only knocked them out. Good. The skunk, she could probably handle on her own. But the komodo dragon was probably almost five times her weight and she wouldn't be able to hold it off if it came at her with brute strength. She ducked to the side as it lunged, and North drew his pistol. While a komodo dragon couldn't run very fast, this one seemed to have amazing reflexes. He tried to take a shot, but he couldn't. Any time he was clear for a second, it would move, and the shot would have gone wide.

Ayla tried to duck out of the way again when its jaws clamped around the scruff of her neck and her entire body went limp. All she could do was hope that her armor wouldn't fail. It was the only thing between her and those teeth. And that venom.

The komodo dragon shook her, and she knew North would try to get a shot. But he wouldn't fire, because he could risk shooting her. And if her armor failed while he shot... it wouldn't be pretty.

She heard the gun go off and the komodo dragon let out a loud noise of pain, dropping her. When she landed, she saw a bullet wound in its leg. She chanced a look up at North, who was holstering his gun. _~Thanks,~_ she told him.

"Any time," he replied before the komodo dragon came at him. Ayla was torn. There was still the skunk to take care of, which had been watching her exchange with the reptile, but now it was after North. Leaving just her and the skunk.

North could take care of himself, she decided. The skunk had started to circle her, no doubt looking for some kind of easy opening. In a fair fight, it was no question that she would win. So of course, it was probably looking for a good way to cheat. She wanted to get this over with quickly. She didn't know how much trouble South and Kinsey were in, but she was pretty sure the worry she felt from North was directed straight at his sister. The sooner they got this over with, the sooner they could find the others.

She pounced, but was surprised when the skunk spun, tail lifted. She didn't have the chance to leap back before the spray hit her face. She shook her face, desperate to get the liquid off. She sneezed, hoping it would help. It didn't. She blinked a few times, but everything was really fuzzy. She could barely make out the shape of the skunk in front of her. There was a gunshot and a loud thud. She assumed North had just killed the komodo dragon.

_~North?~_ she said hesitantly. _~I can't see. I got sprayed in the eyes.~_

"One second," he said, and she heard another gunshot, followed by another, much quieter thud. "We're gonna get out of here, alright? And then you're going straight to medical."

_~No arguments here.~_

North raised a hand to his comm link. "South? Ayla's injured, we need to get out of here. Meet me at the helipad for extraction."

"Roger," South's voice came through the radio. She sounded slightly winded. There was a gunshot. "Might need a minute."

"See you then."

* * *

 

South kicked the soldier in front of her into the lockers, his body denting the metal. Kinsey had already bitten the man's Familiar, so they didn't have to worry. 

She ran, shooting at the soldiers behind her. One of them was shot by a bullet she didn't fire. She turned to see North jumping over some of the crates, Ayla by his side. Where he landed in a roll, the lynx stumbled a bit.

**_~What happened?~_** Kinsey asked as she headed for the nearest animal she could sink her fangs into.

**_~Skunk,~_** Ayla replied. **_~Sprayed in my face. I can't see much right now.~_**

**_~Are you going to be okay?~_ **

**_~Medical should have me sorted out when we get back.~_ **

**_~Alright.~_ **

North shot one of the soldiers right up the middle, grabbing the gun he dropped.

"Shotgun!" South yelled, holding a hand out for the weapon. North tossed it, which she caught with ease. She fired on one of the men advancing before swinging the gun back and hitting another in the head.

Ayla grunted when she felt something slam into her immediately following a gunshot. Her armor held strong, though. Considering no one had noticed the shooter and dispatched them or warned her, that could only mean one thing. _~Sniper!~_ she yelled to North.

"South, take cover!" he yelled to his twin.

"What?"

"Sniper!"

The twins ran behind two giant crates, their Familiars by their side. "Switch on my mark," North said. "Sync?"

"Sync!"

"Mark!"

South went low as North went high. South rolled before coming up in a crouch. North peeked from behind his crate. He was about to turn and fire when South grabbed one of the corpses and held him up as a shield. She hurled the body at the snipers, but it fell short.

"Watch your left!" North yelled, following her. South stood against the wall, firing straight up. Two men fell, as did a pair of peregrine falcons. More soldiers and their Familiars advanced on them. "Get the door, I'll hold them off," North said, picking them off, one by one. Ayla stayed close to his side. Kinsey was once again wrapped around South's arm.

South fiddled with the key pad for a moment before the door started to open. "We're good, let's move."

There was yet another crowd of soldiers waiting for them. They immediately opened fire while their Familiars charged.

_~South, you start taking care of the Familiars, I can get the humans,~_ Kinsey told her.

"You sure?"

_~I know where the cracks in the armor are. I can get in,~_ the cobra assured her.

"Alright." South fired on an incoming spectacled bear. It didn't take them long to mow through this group. The ran to the center of the helipad, ready to wait for pickup when the sound of cocking weapons surrounded them. They looked up to see that they were completely surrounded.

"Shit!" South yelled.

**_~We're surrounded, aren't we?~_** Ayla asked.

**_~Oh, yeah. Big time,~_** Kinsey replied.

**_~Fuck.~_ **

"Attention assholes!" a voice yelled from the group surrounding them. "Stand down, you're surrounded! Give us the data file, now!"

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," North muttered.

"Think I could take about 50 of 'em," South commented. "How about you?"

"Let's not test that theory, huh?"

South rolled her eyes. "Where the hell is extraction?!"

"You will be taken into custody!" the man that had spoken before continued. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way! There is no escape, so just give us the damn data file!"

**_~Do you see that?~_** Kinsey asked.

**_~No,~_** Ayla replied. **_~I don't see anything, remember? Care to fill me in?~_**

**_~There's someone up there, fighting them. Wait! Isn't that...?~_** Kinsey trailed off.

"Get down!" North yelled, pulling South down as one of the support beams on the walkway above them collapsed, having been just shot apart. He looked up at the soldier causing all the damage. By their side was a wolverine. "Son of a bitch."

"What's going on?" South asked, standing.

"It's her," North replied.

"What the fuck?" The woman looked up to see Carolina and Ezra fighting like the 'perfect team' they were. "Why's she here?"

Carolina kicked the turret she'd been firing before jumping, landing fluidly in front of the twins, armor changing from black to cyan. "Our turn." She immediately went to work on the other soldiers while Ezra held back for a minute.

**_~Are you alright?~_** he asked Ayla, who was still practically glued to her partner's side.

**_~Skunk. Eyes. I'll be fine,~_** she reassured him.

Ezra nodded before joining the fight. Ayla listened closely and tried to back away from most of the fighting. She wouldn't be much use right now, and she knew that. It wasn't long before she heard her partner's voice.

"South, look out!" The man pushed his sister just as one of the gunners on the upper platform opened fire. Ayla felt a strong painful sensation run through her. Her body went cold with fear, and it was only made worse when she heard South yell, "North! No!"

**_~What happened?~_** she asked desperately. **_~Someone, please tell me what's going on!~_**

**_~North was shot,~_** Kinsey told her. **_~He's still alive, though.~_**

Ayla tried to ignore the unspoken 'for now'.

**_~We're leaving,~_** Ezra informed her, and she followed the sound of South's voice, who was reassuring North.

South looked down at North's temporarily crippled Familiar. "He'll be alright," she told her. Her hand went to her radio. "Come in, command! We have wounded, you need to get us out of here, right now!"

Carolina ran over, grabbing the twins. "Come on, you two," she told them. "We're leaving." Ezra grabbed the scruff of Ayla's neck and dragged her off the platform. She panicked for a moment before they hit solid metal. She could only guess that they were on the extraction ship.

"Package is secure," Carolina was saying. "Everybody on board."

When they got inside the ship, Carolina immediately went up front to talk with 479er while Ezra stayed in the back with the others.

_~North, are you alright?~_ Ayla asked.

"I've been better," the blonde admitted. "I'll be alright, though."

_~Are you sure?~_

"Yeah."

"South, check our six!" Carolina called back.

South looked out the back window. "Heads up, we've got company back here!"

"Got it!" 479er called back before the ship jolted from side to side. South glared.

"Can't you get us out of here?!"

"Working on it," 479er replied.

North leaned his head on the side of his seat, taking deep breaths, trying to ignore his sister's argument with the pilot.

"I hate flying!" South yelled, stumbling from side to side, and North almost laughed, remembering all the trips they'd taken with their parents when they were little.

"North, get moving," Carolina's voice came through the ship's radio. "I'm clearing you for equipment usage."

_~Equipment?~_ Ayla asked. _~That's too dangerous, isn't it?~_

"It's that or we all die," he replied, slowly standing.

"Whatever you're gonna do back there, do it fast," 479er advised.

North groaned when the helmet malfunction alert appeared on his HUD. He unclasped it and dropped it unceremoniously on the floor before beginning to climb the ladder. He stopped at the top for a moment to survey the floor below him. South was laying on the floor, having probably given up trying to stand. Kinsey had untangled herself from her partner and was now curled tightly around one of the seat bars. Ayla was sitting on the floor in front of the seat he'd been in, trying to watch him with unseeing eyes. And Ezra locked eyes with him, urging him on. He nodded once before climbing out to the roof of the ship.

Activating his grav boots, he took a deep breath. "Well," he muttered. "Here goes nothing." He pulled his fist back, punching the metal. As his fist connected, he activated the bubble shield, which quickly spread around the ship. He grunted at the impact that was made from the missiles hitting the shield, but was relieved to see that it held. A second later, however, the shield fell. He dove back inside, not willing to be an easy target if they were fired on again. He landed on the floor next to South and laid there, waiting for the ship to dock.

"Mother of Invention, we're inbound," he heard. And that was probably the best sentence he'd ever heard in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I need to point out that I realized something while writing this story. I know hooded cobras are brown/grey. But for some reason, every time I imagined Kinsey, she was white. So I edited the first chapter a little bit, pointing out that she's albino. Just so everyone's aware.
> 
> Okay, so I know I deviated a little bit and skimmed over the last part of the fight, but it sorta started centering around Ayla for a moment, and considering she was temporarily blinded, well... not much she can do there.
> 
> See ya on the flipside~ Elisa out~

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to try to update this weekly, but I can't guarantee that, nor can I really say what time the chapters will be up.
> 
> See ya on the flipside~ Elisa out~


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